Catholic Register Staff

Fifty years ago this month, Pierre Elliott Trudeau took the reins of prime minister, eventually serving more than 15 years at the post and shaping much of today’s Canada (not to mention fathering today’s PM, Justin). From The Catholic Register Archive, in the April 20, 1968 issue, here is a perspective on the man just weeks after he was elected leader of the Liberal Party:

A new mandate from trustees of the Halton Catholic District School Board to allow its schools to give donations only to a specific list of charities that uphold Catholic values sets it apart from other nearby Catholic school boards.

Our dip into The Catholic Register archive lands on the Easter season of 100 years ago, when the world was still embroiled in the First World War. This Register editorial of April 4, 1918 looks athow Pope Benedict XV’s peace efforts were ignored and how the message of Easter might help heal the world.

Newly ordained Bishop Jon Hansen of the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith, wearing a seal-skin mitre and locally made chasuble, addresses fellow bishops and the crowd gathered for his ordination in the gymnasium of St. Patrick’s High School in Yellowknife, N.W.T., on March 16.

Our regular deep dive into The Catholic Register’s archive during our 125thanniversary year isn’t complete without a few sports stories. As the NHL edges toward the playoffs, we recall one of the biggest trades in league history. Fifty years ago this month the Toronto Maple Leafs sent their all-star Frank Mahovlich to Detroit in a six-player swap. The Register’s Fr. Thomas Raby, in his column from March 23, 1968, couldn’t help but muse about what a trade like this could mean in Church terms.

The Irish influence on The Catholic Register was readily apparent during the first half-century of the 125-year-old publication, and it was never more apparent than on St. Patrick’s Day. The March 17 feast day was dutifully and thoroughly covered each year, as evidenced by this abridged account of the St. Patrick’s Day concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall from the March 22, 1906 edition:

In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, we look into The Catholic Register archive for a story of the first Canadian-born saint and founder of the Grey Nuns of Montreal, St. Marguerite d’Youville, born in Varennes, Que., in 1701. This story was published May 9, 1959, days after her beatification by Pope John XXIII. She was canonized in 1990.

To mark The Register’s 125th year, we are re-publishing some stories from our archive. February 1893 marked the 15th anniversary of the reign of Pope Leo XIII (below), who would go on to serve 25 years, the third longest reign in history. This excerpt from The Register of Feb. 2, 1893 looks at the Pope’s election and his accomplishments: